The Roosevelt Presidents

Were they related?

By Deane Barker • •

Yes, though distantly. They were something like fifth cousins.

Also, weirdly, they were also both distantly related to Eleanor – her maiden name was also Roosevelt. She was born “Anna Eleanor Roosevelt,” so her name did not change when she married Franklin.

The Roosevelt family is large and dates to a single Dutchman named “Rosenvelt” who arrived in New York City in the 1600s.

Why I Looked It Up

I was reading a profile of Eleanor in Spark: How Genius Ignites, From Child Prodigies to Late Bloomers, and it came up that she was related to Teddy and her maiden name was Roosevelt. I figured I needed to look it up to sort it out.

Links from this – Spark: How Genius Ignites, From Child Prodigies to Late Bloomers July 18, 2023
This is a pretty simple book. It tells short, chapter-length biographies of 12 people (plus one bonus person). It tries to get at the source of what made each of them special. Some examples: Shirley Temple had a strong bond with her mother who managed her career. She avoided Hollywood child actor...